


The Cursed Prince AU Novel

by Aayden_Scribbles



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2020-08-10 07:55:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20131975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aayden_Scribbles/pseuds/Aayden_Scribbles
Summary: By reopening old wounds, going against the very laws of their land, and dealing with a force much larger than their own,  A scientist/general, A knight and a Prince, will go a remarkable journey, of self-discovery, relearning their biased views, and learning secrets of a beast that will shake their world to their very core.  They will learn secrets of the history of their kingdom that will turn their views upside down. With a book, an old potion maker, and a terror of a seagull, the three will have to go face to face with a dragon and learn of a curse that will wage a war, and earn a long lost prince, his rightful place as King.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> At long last, we finally bring you the story of The Cursed Prince! Our team has been working long and hard to give you guys this AU! Check us out on Tumblr @the-cursed-prince-au Or On Instagram @officialcursedprince!
> 
> Written By: Aayden (@Artistiarc) 
> 
> Co-written By: Kieri (@blazian_scribbles)
> 
> Edited By: Ava(@askewdoodles), Melany (@nonsense.socialite)

The Cursed Prince AU takes certain aesthetics from How to Train Your Dragon, certain ideas from Beauty and the Beast, as well as other fairytale ideas, bringing the AU to life!  
“The Tale of Two Brothers” as the story was called, was of course in the village, just a legend. However, the story was not just a myth, but reality. 

The two brothers were young princes, both vastly different from one another. Their names at the time were lost to history…Until now. 

Virgil was the older brother, the heir to the throne. An anxious young boy at the time growing up with his royal family. He was quiet, reserved, and polite, mostly keeping to himself, but always told stories to the young children of the village.

His brother, nicknamed Deceit, was the younger brother. As a child he used to be a kind kid, he loved jokes and laughed all the time, and what earned him his nickname, was a liar. He lied, sure, but at first, it was the white lies that just made you laugh.  
The boy’s Father was a reserved man and their mother gave both of the kid’s lots of love to make up for their father’s cold demeanor.

When Virgil turned 10, his mother and father were kind and loving (Although his father had a difficult time showing it) and their whole kingdom prospered.  
It wasn’t until one fateful day where a shadow loomed over the village and fire came down from the sky.  
The village was in a panic, running and hiding for cover in complete chaos.  
Virgil ran, helping people get to cover until he came face to face with the beast.

However Virgil didn’t see the monster everyone else saw, he saw a creature who had intelligent eyes and seemed frightened. He tried to connect with them, and he was about to when his mother screamed his name.

The creature startled by the noise, let out a roar and continued his reign of terror, sending Virgil running back to his mother. The two ran through the village trying to find a safe hiding place. They could feel the heat of the fire from the houses now engulfed in flames.

They managed to get back to the palace, and the dragon circled outside, it’s tail smashing against the building, the fire from the neighboring huts caught onto the palace walls, and flames licked up the sides of the palace.

The boy, who is now a man, still remembers, the fear his felt, the heat of the fire, the shaking of the ground. His mother knew how unstable the building was ordered him to run out the back. They ran through the palace, avoiding the fire and the crumbling of the walls. The beams began to fall and the palace began to crumble. The door was in sight and he continued running, beams from the building nearly crushing him. Another flaming beam fell in front of the door, blocking their only way out.  
His mother quickly scooped him up in her arms, placing a kiss on his forehead, mumbled how much she loved him. She took off her necklace, placing it around Virgil’s neck explaining how it’ll protect him, and hoisted him out the open window. The beams fell behind him before he could scream his mother’s name, the palace collapsing to the ground, engulfed in flames.  
His mother died, because of that dragon…

To this day the prince still has that necklace.

The father became harsh and unloving, angry over the fact of his wife’s death, he hid his grief and suffering, and sadness, by replacing it with anger and hostility, blaming his oldest son for the queen’s death…

Deceit began to trick and manipulate his way into his father’s good graces. He didn’t succeed.  
Sensing that he wouldn’t be able to be seen as good he decided to do the next step, he slowly started destroying Virgil’s reputation by spreading untrue rumors.  
Over and over again, Deceit tried to kill his brother, without making it seem as he committed the crime. And over and Over again, He had failed to do so. 

Deceit used a series of dark spells that were forbidden, and if done incorrectly or at all, can change what you are, corrupting you. There were countless stories of witches and warlocks who tampered with the wrong forces, paying dearly.  
Deceit was one of those people.

In Deceit’s climb for power, he tried multiple times trying to curse his brother,  
He tried using spells that would make him keel over and die, or turning him into nothing but an insect, crushing him in the process.

Each and every time, Deceit failed, getting himself more and more corrupted. He could feel himself change into something horrible.  
He began wearing gloves claiming that the flu was going around the kingdom and didn’t want to spread it, while in reality, he could feel the scales replacing his skin, crawling up his arm. His nails were growing to become thick sharp claws. 

He didn’t show much skin anymore, making up every excuse and lie he could come up with. 

Things have gotten very suspicious when Deceit came home one day wearing an eye patch, claiming he had been careless and had hurt himself. 

During a late night, Deceit decided to “comfort” his brother, while at the table. Virgil was more stressed than usual and the younger brother thought this was the perfect time to strike. 

In an attempt to calm him down, Deceit poured him a drink, pouring a potion into it that would change Virgil’s life forever.

The potion began to take effect, turning the future king into one of the most hated creatures in the village, a creature if spotted was killed on the spot.

A creature that ruined his past and his future.  
A dragon.

The prince-turned-dragon fled from the castle, knowing he could never return in his new form.  
Proud by what he’s done, he took his brother’s tattered jacket, dipped it into goats blood and staged his brother’s death to his father. 

He was now the future king.  
His father torn by grief gave the power to his now only son. 

Deceit tossed away the eye patch, revealing the eye of a snake and claimed he would be the new ruler and he would have no heritage.  
He was going to plunge the city into an age of enlightenment. 

Others knew of his cruelty and claimed he would drive their entire city into the ground.

Virgil now dubbed, “Anxiety” for his fight or flight reflex, fought against many men and dragons. He was battle hardened. He was quick. He learned new tricks to help him survive. He began to get thinner. His feet quiet and light. His movement small. His breathing silent. He was a hunter of the night. Most of those who dared to fight him never came back. Most people who stumbled upon him never came back either. That was until a certain boy wandered into the cave. This was a child. No more the five. Virgil looked around before going up to the child and sniffing him, his spikes rising in defense. He looked around. Right as he was about to turn away, he heard a man yell “NOW” as he was bombarded by all sides. He fought viciously, leaving no man alive. Not even the boy…

He was a murder…a monster, with no way to break the curse. He didn’t know how. Was it love? He wondered. He scoffed, well it was more of a half growl. He could no longer speak human language. No one could love him…not like this.  
Years had begun to pass and with each passing year, the dragon grew lonelier and his heart grew colder.  
He began lashing out. He attacked anything that came within his territory. He became less human, and more dragon. He saw everything as a threat. He would growl and half bark at other dragons. Everyone learned to stay away from the one cloaked in the night sky.

There were times where he thought was living even worth it? He missed his village, he missed his people. He, however, did not miss his estranged father. He did not earn the title. There were nights where the dragon cried himself to sleep, missing his old life.  
All he could do in that cave was remember.

Remember his mother’s laugh.

His father’s jokes,

His brother’s pranks.

It almost made him smile.

But then there were other memories.

The roaring of a dragon.

The terrified screams of his people.

A cold stone in his hand.

The heat of the fire.

And loss.

So much loss…

That is until a man named Patton, the new heir to the throne, a kind young man, stumbled upon his cave during a harsh snowstorm.

With Logan, Roman, and Patton,  
A man of knowledge, a royal knight, and a kind prince work together to keep the dragon a secret from the people. To try and change the biased minds of the villagers, opening up their minds to the idea of dragons

This is where the story begins…


	2. "Don't Eat Me Mr. Dragon"

Patton was always one for long walks out in the woods. It helped him clear his mind and gave him a sense of peace. The old, yellow and brown leaves rustled in the wind, and the sound of dead, weak trees, creaking at every push the wind gave seemed to echo around him. It was the end of fall and the air was colder than ice. It climbed through his royal clothing to the bottom of his spine. Most of the leaves were already gone. The sight of every living thing coming to an end, depressed Patton. The crumbling of the dry, stiff leaves created a home to many animals that needed a place to hide during this time of empty sorrow. The birds ceased to sing and he had to take this time to enjoy whatever was left in the woods. It was frigid, and being a prince, Patton wasn’t dressed for this weather. He felt a sudden chill as the clouds broke into a deluge of whirling snow.

In the blizzard there was no way to know which direction to go, the usual landmarks were hidden behind the white that swirled so densely. The soft crystals he would have found so bewitching from the other side of a pane of glass, found their way into his clothes in every possible way. He felt his blood run cold and his skin became icy. He shouldn't have wandered out, not in this weather. Disorientation was a given; and the cold was a killer. The world was being erased around him, and he’d be one with it if he didn't find shelter…

He shivered violently as he trudged through the snow, eager to find shelter. A large, rock cavern came into view as Patton hiked up the small hill. He wrapped his cape around him, desperately hoping to find warmth within. Small, loose stones littered the floor causing him to trip as he got closer to the rock face. He winced as he felt his ankle twist in the wrong direction, and Patton gasped as pricks burst through his foot. The pain throbbed in his ankle, it was deep and warm, but not in a nice way. Now, he really needed to get into that cave. If it weren't for his subjects he’d curl right up here in the snow and let it take him away to the next life, but he’d promised he’d come home, so he must. 

He limped his way up the hill, grunting at the weight put on his injured ankle. It took him several agonizing minutes to reach the entrance of the cave, leaning heavily against the jagged rock.   
He peeked inside the entrance to the cave, of which to enter was to become engulfed in chilling blackness. The absence of light and the noise of disturbed rocks echoing off the dense stone walls was discouraging. Ahead was the sound of water dripping; what once was a calming sound now felt eerie. A strange scent hung in the air. It was something that felt familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Without even a match to cast light into the black, there was no way to tell how deep it was, or if his next step would take him into its frigid depths. As afraid as he was, he believed this a good place to lay down. 

Patton rested, cocooned in the body of the earth, feeling the crisp rock beneath his feet. He curled in on himself trying to get his body heat back to a normal temperature. A breeze from deeper in the cave hit his back and filled him with warmth. He smiled as his hair was blown into his face. Only when he caught the scent of the cave did Patton feel alarmed. Smoke. That was when he felt his stomach drop. His ears picked up a low growl that echoed through the cave. Patton sat up, his heart racing as the chilling silence fell over the cave once again. Just as he convinced himself he was imagining things, a side effect of hypothermia, he heard it. A low and deep roar. 

Patton had heard the many stories of dragons in these woods, all the people in the kingdom were aware. Almost everyone avoided the woods because of those tales; however, they had never stopped Patton. His knight, Roman, had always insisted on protecting him during his walks. Patton never let him. As many stories as there were of vicious dragons prowling the land, there were reports on how most of them have died out thanks to war and hunting. One kingdom, in particular, was to thank for the dragon-free woods. Ever since the new king, they had sought to defend the land from the beasts. Strangely enough, even though they protected Patton’s land, he had been advised not to speak with them. They were the kingdom next to Patton’s, The Dark Kingdom- well that wasn't it’s true name. No one knew it’s true name anymore. Not since their prince was lost over 100 years ago, but that's another story. 

In the distance of the cave, a dragon stepped into the light, with scales that gleamed in the sunlight. The scales that were the dragon’s pride and delight. Violet streaks shot through them that were brighter than the stars. Black attached itself to both sides of the violet. The beast had teeth as sharp and cold as icicles; they could rip through amour. It’s deep chocolate eyes were seemingly endless pools flooded with intelligence and wisdom. The dragon tossed its tail, a weapon hard as a rock that could go through a castle wall as if it was no more than a toy. Tucked to its side were leathery wings that stretched like a bat, to fly.   
The creature inched closer to the prince, growling softly. It’s deep brown eyes staring into Patton’s, who stared back terrified. 

“Ahhh!! Please don’t eat me!” 

The prince scrambled back, his back clashing with the stone cave wall. The dragon stopped for a moment, cocking his head, seemingly confused. The dragon huffed, inching closer to Patton, sniffing the man. He noticed the knife sticking out of Patton’s sheath and snarled, backing up. Patton glanced at the shealth and sighed, “Roman…how did you..” He mumbled to himself. Patton wasn’t one for violence; Roman must have snuck it in there when he wasn’t looking. Patton slowly took the knife from the sheath, holding it loosely in his hand. The dragon growled louder, hissing at the weapon in Patton’s hand. 

“Easy...Easy...I mean no harm.” stammered Patton as he stood up, wincing as he stepped on his injured ankle. He limped to the entrance of the cave and tossed the knife into the snow and the dragon’s growling immediately died down. Patton stayed by the entrance of the cave looking out at the world covered in snow, wondering how he could ever get back home. The sound of the dragon’s growling brought him back to his even more troubling reality. He turned around and came face to face with the mysterious creature. Patton felt a scream rise in his throat, but he forced it down. The dragon stared at him, its squinted brown eyes staring into Patton’s. The beast circled around him, growling softly. Its beady eyes looking for more weapons Patton might have, hackles rising up in defense. The dragon sniffed him once more until it was satisfied, trotting over to the far side of the cave. 

Patton sighed in relief, sliding down the back wall. He winced as his ankle throbbed, it felt like his foot was being dipped in fire. ‘Fire’ Patton thought to himself. He stood up again, limping around the cave for dry sticks, leaves, and a couple of stones. The dragon watched him curiously from the other side of the cave. He put the sticks together, leaves covering the top, and the stones circled around the mound, holding it in place. Patton clashed two rocks together, hoping to get a spark. Over and over he did this, failing to spark the fire. After a dozen or more tries, he gave up, shivering next to his pile of leaves and sticks. The dragon who was keeping a close eye on Patton stood up and wandered over to Patton. He recoiled as the mighty dragon loomed over him. 

“S-sorry!” Patton stuttered out, “I didn’t mean to intrude!” 

Patton wasn’t even sure the dragon could understand him. The dragon tilted his head at this but slowly moved his head towards the sticks and stones, breathing out a small flame, lighting the leaves. The fire crackled in the corner of the cave, projecting long shadows on the surrounding area. The light cast by the flames danced across the dark edge of the cave, twisting and curling in obscure shapes and providing a small radius of light. The fire itself was pulsating, the glowing embers seemed to move in rhythm with the flames, matching every dip and sweep. It was mesmerizing to watch, the colors of orange and red gave way to yellow and white near the center, where the emanating heat was the greatest. 

The fire was their tiny sun for the evening. The flames curled and swayed, flicking this way and that, crackling as they burned the dry wood. It felt so good to have warmth at last, even if is from only one direction. 

“Thank you,” he whispered softly to the dragon, smiling happily. Patton watched in hypnotized joy, holding his hands out to get just a little more of the gentle heat. He felt his fingers thaw and watched the color return to his palms. He shifted onto his knees to get more heat but immediately regretted it. The pain striking through his leg reminded him of the injury he received earlier.  
“Ow ow ow. I guess I should take a look at that now, huh?” He looked over at the dragon as if talking to a friend. A short burst of smoke out of its nostrils and a glare sent Patton a clear message. 

“Easy buddy!” He removed the shoe and sock from his bad foot. He took off the cape that had served him well as a blanket and tears off the cloak. The dragon growled at the sound of tearing the fabric. Patton dropped it and put his hands up to show he had nothing in them.

“It’s okay, it’s just fabric! It can’t hurt you!...Unless your allergic to cotton.” He joked as he patted the lump of clothing. The dragon slowly walks forward and sniffs it, confirming its harmlessness. Patton smiled and continued to shred the cape into long strips of fabric. He wrapped two makeshift bandages around his leg from his toes to mid-calf. He took another one and wrapped the swollen ankle. Satisfied with his handiwork, he hobbled over to the entrance of the cave. The dragon, who had been observing his work stood up in alarm.  
“I just need to get some ice, bud.” Patton crouched down and stuck his throbbing ankle into the snow. A chill of both relief and discomfort race up his leg. 

“Ah, that’s really cold.” Patton felt his ankle numbing and the pain fading. He laid down on the hard stone floor with a leg sticking outside the cave and watched the fire.   
He didn’t remember when he drifted off, but he jolted awake when his lungs filled with smoke. 

“NO, THE COOKIES ARE BURNING!” 

He sat up in a coughing fit and turned around to see the dragon’s tail disappearing into the darkness of the cave. Forgetting about his ankle, he jumped up and called out after it.  
“Wait-AH!” the all too familiar feeling of pricks returned to his ankle. Patton scanned the black of the cave and sighed. Not sure if he imagined it or not, he returned to sit by the dying fire. Looking down at his ankle, he could see the swelling had gone down considerably, although putting pressure on it didn’t help with the pain. Outside, the snow had stopped. There was nothing but a blinding white outside the cave, which hurt his eyes to look at. Patton had no help and no supplies. Even in his delirious state, Patton knew he wouldn’t last outside. 

“I can’t ask the dragon for help. One person sees him and both of us are dead.” He poked at the glowing embers with a charred stick, watching the tiny glowing sparks.

“Well, I guess that’s it. It will take forever for the snow to melt, and I can’t even walk 2 steps. I’m not a dragon so I can’t make my own fire, and I ripped up my blanket so I could...be a mummy?” He was close to tears when the dragon dropped a pile of twigs in front of him.

“AAH-oh. It’s just you Mr. Dragon. Mrs. Dragon?” The dragon glared at Patton and blew a puff of smoke.

“Mr. Dragon. Gotcha. Well, you sure are quiet for such a big fellow.” Patton watched as the dragon nudged the sticks into a pile with his head and exhaled a small flame. The sticks caught fire and Patton felt the warmth. 

“Hehe that’s warm.” He gazed at the flickering flames, mesmerized. Patton reached a hand towards the fire to touch it. The dragon’s eyes widened, and he quickly stomped out the fire. 

“Aw. Were you getting too hot?” The prince crawled over to the cave entrance. He took a handful of snow and packed it together. The delirious man hobbles back over to the curious creature watching. 

“Here, take a chill pill!” Patton gently tossed the snowball and giggled as it burst on the dragon’s head. The dragon, being slightly startled at the sudden burst of snow, scampered around wildly until his eyes settled on Patton. A low deep growl escaped the dragon’s throat and Patton’s laughter stopped, abruptly. 

“Well I-I think I’ll be leaving!” Patton said, his hands up in surrender, not wanting to startle the dragon anymore than he already had. He scrambled to his feet and limped towards the cave entrance. Before Patton could make it outside the dragon shook the snow off his face. With a growl, the dragon blocked the entrance to the cave. It stood firmly, his eyes staring at Patton, vigorously. 

“You don’t want me to leave?” Patton asked the dragon, cautiously, putting all his weight on his uninjured foot. The dragon huffed, as it glared at Patton.   
“O-Okay…” The prince rubbed the back of his neck nervously. The deliriousness had faded a little, making Patton more aware of his actions. 

Patton rubbed his eyes; they were raw and sore. He carefully made his way down to the floor, and rested his head in the crook of his elbow, curling up in the dark cave. He could feel this blackness come over him. Like a blanket, but not a blanket of warmth. A blanket of coldness making him shiver. Despite the frigid air, the prince felt his eyelids become heavier and heavier. He closed his eyes finally sending him into a dreamless sleep.


	3. A Knight Has Got To Slay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> =

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Cursed Prince AU Novel  
Written By: Aayden (@Artistiarc)   
Co-written By: Kieri (@blazian_scribbles)  
Edited By: Ava(@askewdoodles), Melany (@nonsense.socialite)

Chapter 2: A Knight Has Got To Slay

Patton drifted into consciousness. And then back out. The world was a blur, and random images seemed to float aimlessly around in the pool of his thoughts, as though they were being blown about viciously by a hurricane.   
He felt a creature curled around him, it’s skin nice and cool. Patton blinked through his daze, eyeing the dark scales that surrounded him. Through his foggy thoughts, it took Patton several seconds to realize who this creature was. The dragon. 

Patton squirmed for a moment, but the dragon just curled tighter around him. The prince let out a croak, his voice scratchy with unuse.   
“Morning Mr. Dragon” rasped Patton, looking outside, “If it even is morning”.

Patton found the darkness strange. Living in the heart of a city, he had grown used to having the warming, orange glow of street lamps outside his window, their light filtering in through the gaps in the curtains. This was a blackness that he couldn't recall seeing before - one that was almost absolute. When he tilted his head skyward he could clearly see millions of bright stars dotted on the black canvas of night, yet none of that light seemed to filter far enough down to make any difference when he turned his eyes away.  
The dragon’s breathing was slow and comforting, lulling him back to sleep. After the blackness of night, Earth’s star rose up over the horizon, casting its golden light in every direction. The stars soon faded and the sky turned a dazzling purplish orange. Slowly, the dragon uncurled from him, yawning, his yellow teeth glistening in the light of the morning sun. 

Patton aroused from his heavy slumber and first became aware of the coolness of the air and its loamy fragrance. His clothes feel damp, and he half wondered if he was still dreaming. Patton yawned, stretching his limbs out, hearing the bones give a satisfying crack  
.   
The dragon swayed his head, turning it towards Patton. The mighty creature leaned over Patton, sniffing him curiously. The dragon was obviously becoming more comfortable with having Patton around, but he still showed signs of distrust. 

‘I would too if I was cooped up in this cave with no friends…’ Patton wondered to himself. 

The dragon wandered around the darkness of the cave, seemingly cleaning it up. He nudged the sharp and loose rocks to the corner of the cave and nudged the fire pit outside. Patton giggled to himself, ‘He has a house guest! Of course, he’s cleaning up!’ 

“Such good manners!” The dragon turned his head to look at Patton gushing. He slowly bared his teeth in his best attempt at a smile. Patton returned it with his own toothy grin. The warm atmosphere was interrupted by a low growl. The dragon looked around, his smile turned into a threat, but at what? Patton was also momentarily startled before bursting into a fit of laughter. 

“Sorry Mr. Dragon, that was my stomach. Sometimes humans growl when they're hungry, but we can’t really control it.” He pats his empty stomach. 

“You wouldn’t happen to have any food?” The dragon stared at the prince, then took a running start from the cave as he stretched out his glorious wings. Patton quickly ducked to avoid getting hit and whipped around, catching the end of the dragon’s tail as he flapped his wings to take flight.   
Patton sighed, he knew he overstayed his welcome. He stood up carefully, shoving his knuckle in his mouth to avoid crying out in pain. He limped to the entrance of the cave and wandered out into the snow. It was time to head home. 

The dragon swerved and dived as he took in the freedom of flying, swimming through the sky. His muscles flexing and shifting under his scales. The dragon’s eyes scoured the white landscape for anything edible to feed his, hopefully, new friend. Among the snow, he managed to find a berry bush (assuming his friend wouldn’t like eating...what he eats). The black and magenta dragon dove through the treetops and landed on the frozen snow. Careful not to crush the berries, he snapped off a branch of the plant. A noise like a boot crushing snow made him freeze. He stayed perfectly still, scanning the woods with just his eyes. After a moment of silence, he opened his wings and launched off the ground through the trees in flight; hoping whoever - or whatever was there with him had passed. He twisted, flying back to the cave, landing gracefully and silently on his feet. The dragon placed the branch on the floor and looked up, expecting to find his friend’s smiling face. His dragon smile quickly faded when it was met by the darkness and silence of the cave. He looked around his home for the prince, but there was no sign of him. The dragon chirped nervously, rummaging around the cave. He chirped again as if he was calling out for the human. He whipped around glancing at the cave entrance, his ears dropping horrified. The prince was gone…

The creature galloped outside the cave, taking flight once again. He looked around wildly for the human until he spotted the blue clothing against the white of the snow. He dived, landing a few feet away from Patton, who had collapsed. The dragon was unsure what to do next, he leaned in, sniffing Patton carefully. The Prince opened his brown eyes, blinking at the dragon. Patton slowly raised his hand towards the dragon, the dragon backing up fearfully. Patton kept his hand raised, shivering violently. Slowly but surely the dragon inched closer until he hesitated. The dragon waited a few seconds before finally leaning into Patton’s touch. Patton smiled warmly, delirious from hypothermia. Cold licked at his face and crept under his clothes, spreading across his skin, with purple lips tinged with blue and gently chattering teeth, he curled into a tight ball. He was too exhausted to get up and his ankle had officially given out. Seeing Patton this way gave the dragon more fear than 10 angry men. He didn’t know what he could do to save the only person who ever showed him kindness. He racked his brain for some way to get his friend back to the cave without hurting him, and could only think of one. The dragon carefully opened his mouth and bit the fabric on the back of Patton’s shirt, hoping he wasn’t allergic to cotton. He lifted the prince out of the snow and carefully carried him back towards the cave. The dragon feared choking Patton with his shirt, but feared keeping him in the cold more. His mind was so full of worries and thoughts, that he didn’t even hear the second pair of footsteps behind him. 

Roman had never been in this situation before. Out of all of his battles with dragons, this would be the trickiest. 

‘If I try to save Patton, surely the beast will harm him. The prince already tried to escape that demon, alas to no avail.’ He peered out from behind the tree at the black and magenta dragon carrying a young man dressed in blue. 

‘Obviously, this isn’t the smartest dragon or else it would’ve heard me. But I am pretty stealthy...’ 

He looked back at the dragon, who was now a considerable length away. Roman holds his sheathed sword by his side and ducked behind another tree, slowly moving after the creature. 

‘If I had known this was the heathen that kidnapped my prince, I would’ve ended it as soon as I saw it by that wild blackberry bush.’ 

He punched the bark of his hiding spot in frustration, then continued his inner monologue. ‘What would a dragon need berries for? They don’t eat fruit they eat small children and goats. It’s most likely using them for some sort of satanic ritual, in which Patton is the sacrifice! I cannot let this happen.’

Roman glared at the thing holding Patton by the shirt. He drew his sword and advanced through the snow. Suddenly, the dragon stops and Roman’s stomach drops. He dove behind the nearest tree and prayed to Thomas he lives. After a moment of silence and labored breathing from the knight, he gambled on taking a peek. He was shocked to find an empty patch of snow. He ran into the opening, looking for footprints - or rather claw prints. Roman is dumbfounded to see only a frozen layer of snow. 

‘I’m no longer dealing with a demon. I’m dealing with a ghost.’

He sheathed his sword (since it would be useless against a spirit) and after a very exclusive deduction strategy he learned on the streets, ‘eenie meenie miney…’. He went in the direction of mo. 

The first thing Patton felt was warmth. The second thing he felt was pain. Patton opened his eyes to the dragon pacing back and forth throughout the cave. He winced as he sat up, eyes still glued to the dragon. The creature was letting out a soft nervous bark and shaking his head.

“You’re a little worry wort, aren’t you?” At the sound of his voice, the dragon’s ears perked up. He whipped around and bounded towards Patton, landing beside him. He whines and nuzzled his nose to Patton’s head. The prince lightly chuckled.

“Did you bring me back here? I thought you wanted me to leave…” The dragon shook his head ‘no’ vigorously, then leaped to his feet. He ran deeper into the cave and returned with the branch, plopping into Patton’s lap. Patton stared at the branch for a moment before looking up at the dragon, his eyes brimming with tears.  
“Awwww! You brought me blackberries?!” He plucked one off the branch and plopped it in his mouth.

“Mmm! Thank you Mr. Dragon” Patton paused for a moment, “That seems too formal of a name. I consider us to be friends, right?” He gazed up at the dragon cautiously. The creature nodded his head and smiled his awkward grin. Patton giggled.

“I should give you a nickname…” He ate another wild blackberry, then looks at the branch.   
“How about Blackberry?” The dragon looked at Patton oddly. He yanked a blackberry off the branch and pointed to it with his claw.   
“Yeah, Blackberry! It fits doesn’t it?” The dragon glared at Patton before dropping his foot down on top of the blackberry, squishing it. 

“Oh. I guess not…” He rested his chin on his hand, pouting. The dragon’s ears dropped as he whimpered to Patton. He rose to all fours and barked nervously. He shifted his weight back and forth between his legs, worrying he upset his friend. Patton glanced at the awkward dragon and smirked.

“Aw, you’re just a poor little anxious baby!” His eyes lit up. “How about I call you Anxiety?” The dragon stared at Patton, about to object, but thinks better of it. He chirped in agreement and Patton clapped and exclaimed in delight.

“PATTON!” Both the prince and Anxiety were startled by the sudden noise. 

“Roman!?” he called back out to the voice.

“YES, IT IS I. ROMAN, YOUR VALIANT KNIGHT HERE TO RESCUE YOU FROM THAT FOUL BEAST!” The loud voice came closer and closer, along with the sound of crunching snow under running boots. Patton felt relief swelling up inside him. ‘I'm going home! I’m going...oh no.’ His gaze flicked to Anxiety, who had his teeth bared at the cave entrance. 

“Anxiety, you have to go!” The dragon looked down at him in confusion. “You need to hide. That person won’t hurt me but he will hurt you, so you need to go!” Anxiety whimpered and Patton stumbled to his feet.

“I promise I’ll come back, please.” The dragon stared at Patton’s pleading face, heartbroken. He started to run out of the cave, but before he could leave a young man in shining armor holding a sword blocked the way.  
“Not so fast ghost-demon!” Anxiety growled and raises his hackles. Roman advanced a couple of steps toward him, brow furrowed. “Tell me what you did with Patton! He will take no part in your ritual! Release him!” Patton limped towards his two friends, calling out,

“I’m right here Roman! Don’t hurt him!” 

“Don’t worry Patton, it could never hurt me!” Roman looks over at the prince then gasps. “It has wounded you!” He turns to glare at Anxiety. “I will make sure you regret that!” He bounded towards the dragon, sword raised. Roman swung and slashed at him, but Anxiety was too fast. He moved out of the way, making Roman miss again and again.   
“Stand still you slithering serpent!” He raised his sword to strike once more when Patton dove in front of Anxiety.   
“STOP!”   
Roman flinched, freezing with his sword inches from Patton’s head. He stared at Patton’s face, prepared for impact, in shock. He takes a couple of steps back and dropped his sword. Its shining metal clashed against the stone floor. Patton looked back up at his trusted knight, breathing heavily. 

“That’s enough Roman. You can’t hurt him.”

Patton held a hand out to Anxiety, who leaned his head onto it. 

“Him? Uh, Patton, I think you're delirious. That’s a dragon, the thing that kills our soldiers, our people, that burns our land. I have reason to believe it's also a ghost and a demon.” 

“Trust me, I’m not delirious. This is Anxiety. Anxiety, Roman. Roman, Anxiety.” He gestured to the other as an introduction. 

Roman growled, clearly not pleased with the situation. He snatched the sword off the ground and pointed it at the dragon, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now!”   
Bounding around Patton, Anxiety knelt down next to the prince, glancing to his back.   
“You want me to get on?” Patton asked, nervously. 

“Patton- no! Listen to me- do not get- oh dear Thomas…” Roman tried grabbing Patton’s leg as he climbed up Anxiety’s back. 

The young man held on tightly as Anxiety took a running start taking flight, Patton grasped Anxiety’s back scales tightly. 

“GET BACK HERE!” Roman screeched, as Anxiety flew back around. The dragon got closer and closer, as he swooped down, grasping Roman with his claws, lifting the knight into the air. 

The wind rushed through Patton’s hair and into his eyes, he had to squint against the sunlight pouring through the clouds and onto his back. Suddenly, he shivered and panicked. He thought he was going blind because all he could see was white. He emerged and could see the beautiful blue sky again. Looking behind him, he laughed, realizing he had flown through a cloud. He looked down at his arms. The clear droplets of water sparkled like tiny crystals on his skin. Meanwhile, Roman wasn’t having as much fun as Patton was having. Roman kicked and screamed, trying to get out of Anxiety’s grip, but soon realized that wasn’t a good idea, for they were hundreds of feet in the air. 

“PUT ME DOWN YOU HALF WITTED REPTILE!” Roman screamed as he dangled in the air.   
Roman caught a glance at Patton, who was glaring daggers at him.

“...I’m not apologizing!”

“Roman, how would you feel if someone broke into your house and tried to kill you?”

“...not good?!”

“Mhm, so then what do you say to Anxiety?”

“...”

“Roman Prince, in the name of Thomas and all things that are holy, What. Do. You. Say.”  
The dragon loosened his grip as Roman struggled to hold onto the dragon. 

“I’M NOT SAYING SORRY TO THAT CREATURE!” Roman yelled as he squirmed.   
With the release of his claws, Roman found himself spiraling back towards Earth. 

Roman screamed a scream he didn’t even know was in him, as the ground got closer and closer.   
“OKAY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY!” 

Anxiety dived, flying after Roman, and scooped him right out of the air.   
Roman felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes as he sighed in relief, gripping Anxiety’s leg with all the strength he had. 

The dragon chirped happily as he circled the sky. The dragon was flying steady enough for Patton to reach Roman, and pull him up onto Anxiety’s back. Roman shook in fear for a moment as he worked to steady his heartbeat.   
Between clouds that promised rain, was a river of blue. Today, the clouds were white marble on blue satin, dove grey underneath and brilliant white where they were thin enough to let the light through. Roman marveled at the beautiful blue sky, as Anxiety flew around. 

“Wow…” he mumbled aloud and Patton giggled. 

They flew around for several minutes before Anxiety came in for a landing. 

“Thanks, Anxiety!” Patton said, cheerfully. 

“Anxiety? That’s a stupid name.”

“I named him”

“I mean that’s a wonderful name.” 

Anxiety huffed a puff of smoke into Roman’s face, coating his face in soot and sending him into a coughing fit.   
“Hey watch it!” He raised his sword again at the dragon. “I’m only not killing you because Patton is fond of you; don’t get too cocky!” He yelled at the dragon, who seemed satisfied with his soot-covered punishment.  
Anxiety yipped in laughter, swinging his tail.

“What are you laughing at you overgrown salamander!” He jutted his chin out at the dragon, who was rolling on his back, legs kicking in the air. Patton chuckled at Anxiety’s amusement.

“Great! Now that you two are getting along, I think it’s time we discuss what to do next.” Both Roman and Anxiety looked at Patton.

“What do you mean ‘What to do next?’ You say goodbye to your dragon, I take you back to the kingdom, and you never speak or interact ever again.”

Anxiety snarled in disagreement and wrapped his tail around Patton.

“I don’t think I can just leave Anxiety. He saved my life twice,” Patton cupped his hands around his mouth and whisper-shouts to Roman “and I think I’m his only friend!”  
Roman rubbed his temples.

“Ugh fine, fine! How about this: you come back to the kingdom with me until your injury has healed. I’ll tell everyone you were captured by a dragon, and I killed it. When you're okay to go on walks, you can visit but I have to come with you. If that thing makes a move I’m allowed to kill it, agreed?” Roman suggested, Patton furrowed his brow with a frown.

“Roman, if you say you killed the dragon, you know people would be suspicious!. You always bring something back...when you….” He pauses and looks up at Anxiety. “Uh, visit a dragon. And Anxiety would never hurt me!” 

Roman took a step towards Patton, frustrated.

“Patton! It’s a dragon! That’s literally what they do! They don’t give nutrients to the dirt, they don’t pollinate flowers, THEY KILL PEOPLE! He already tried to kill me once with that horror ride! Thanks a lot for the consolation on that by the way, really appreciated the ‘woohoos!’. Honestly, be thankful I’m even letting you visit that thing!” The prince stared at Roman, his expression frozen in shock. 

Roman sighed and rubbed his eyes. Anxiety noticed the prominent bags under his eyes; the fatigue in the face and breath. The bottoms of his pant legs were soaked from the snow and one of his hands were shaking. The dragon realized that for as long as Patton had been in the cave, this knight had been looking for him. Anxiety took a soft step towards Roman. The knight flinched and raised his sword at the dragon.

“H-hey stay back!” Anxiety softly chirped at him, putting his ears down. 

“Roman.” The knight glanced at Patton. “It’s okay. Let him come close.”

For once, Roman listened. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was Patton’s tone or their history. Whatever the reason, Roman lowered his sword. Anxiety came face to face with him, then lowered his head, allowing Roman to touch him. In any other battle, this would’ve been the perfect opportunity to strike, head down against the ground. He tightened his grip on his sword in his hand. However, this wasn’t just any battle. Roman, against all his training and beliefs, placed his sword on the ground and reached out his hand. He tentatively placed his hand on the top of the dragon’s head. Mesmerized by the feeling, he started stroking the scales. They felt sleek and cool, but the dragon had a warmth within. Patton smiled at his old friend, recognizing his expression of amazement. 

“Okay, so now we need a plan-a real plan.” Anxiety and Roman watched at Patton limped over the entrance of the cave. He bent over and picked up a charred stick Anxiety had tossed out. “Any ideas?” Roman raises his hand.  
“Oh! Oh!” 

Patton hands him the stick, “Yes Roman?”

The knight takes the stick and kneels down by the snow at the entrance. “Okay, so I take Patton back to the kingdom while his leg heals, as mentioned before, but this time, I say he got lost in the woods and had been hiding in a cave.” He sketched out his plan in the snow like a battle strategy. Anxiety whimpered and Patton pats his head.   
“But what about Anxiety? How can I visit him? The guards would insist on coming with me if you told them I got lost.” Roman tapped his lip.

“You’re right.” Roman suddenly looked at Patton, questioningly. “Wait, how do you know the dragon is a he?”

He glanced at Anxiety before cupping his hands around his mouth and whispering to Patton. “Did you check?” 

“No!” 

“Well then did you just assume? You know what happens when you assume Patton,” 

Patton nodded, “I know, I know.-” Together they recite the nursery rhyme taught in every school.  
“When you assume, you make an as(s) of su, and me.” 

“But don’t worry, I asked.” Patton smiled. The knight nodded.

“Good. And it’s an easy solution, I can just accompany you on your walks from now on.”

“Well, you can’t do that. I go on walks so often, that would take up so much of your time!” Roman slumped over.

“Right again...hm. This is tricky.” All think for a moment before Patton exclaimed.

“Oh! I got it!” Roman handed the stick over to Patton and the group shifts to a new patch of snow. 

“Okay, so, what if we convince everyone in the kingdom that dragons are good, and then the whole society accepts Anxiety as a fellow subject!” He drew sticks figure versions of the kingdom complete with a scraggly attempt at a dragon; each one with a squished in smiley faces.

“That would never happen. You know that Patton.” Patton gave Roman his puppy eyes and a pout.

“Yeah, but wouldn’t it be awesome?” He chuckles.

“Yes, it would be great.” 

He jokingly looks up at Anxiety, “Do you have a plan?” Anxiety nods and gently bites the stick from Patton’s hand. The group shifts to another clean patch of snow. Anxiety lays down on the floor, which is as close as he could get to the ground while still being able to draw. He lifts his head up and down in the snow, dragging the stick along in the snow. Patton looks at his drawing.

“Wow.” 

Roman stares at the 8 random dots and half of a broken stick in the snow. “...I don’t get it.”  
Patton finds another stick and kneels back down. “It’s pretty smart really. He’s saying that you go back to the kingdom saying you found me, but I was injured. They’ll probably want to come get me but you say you found a very small village that doesn’t belong to a kingdom. In that village, you asked for help and an old lady took in the prince. Unfortunately, once she found out you were a knight, she wanted you to get out. You say you discovered that the village was formed because they were trying to run away from the kingdoms’ war, and they banned any subjects from either kingdom - especially soldiers from entering. 

However, you managed to convince her to let you come back to bring the prince supplies every day but that’s all she would allow.” Patton drew out the entire plan, stopping occasionally to glance back and get confirmation with Anxiety, who always nodded. “This way, you can convince them not to send any more people, but give you supplies. Meanwhile, I’ll be staying with Anxiety and living off the supplies you bring until my ankle heals. That way I can spend a long amount of time with him before only being able to visit occasionally.” Anxiety gives a small bark and adds another dot. Patton nods. “He also says if anyone asks about the village, they made you promise to never speak of its location.” Patton gives the dragon a thumbs up and a smile. “Nice plan!” Roman stares dumbfounded at the dots.

“H-how did you...is that like morse code or something?” The prince shrugs and chucks the stick back outside. 

“I think that plan could really work.” 

“Well, y-yeah it would?” Roman stuttered. Patton rose to stand on his good foot.

“It’s settled then. Roman, the sooner you return the better. We don’t want any more guards being sent out to look for you.” Patton and Anxiety share a nod before looking at Roman expectantly. 

“What the heckity heck three abs and peck just happened?” Patton gave him a puzzled look.

“What does that mean?”

“Now you understand how I feel right now. Nonetheless, I can comprehend the need for urgency in my actions. I shall make haste of my return.” He rises up and dusts himself off. “Just to play it safe, don’t leave this cave.” He sheathed his sword and bows to both of them. “I bid you adieu.” He trudges out into the snow. Patton smiles and then calls out after him. 

“Wait, Roman!” 

He whips around, hand on the hilt of his sword. “WHAT?! WHAT?! Are you hurt?!” 

Patton stifles a laugh. “Oops, no, I’m fine. It’s just your face is covered in soot.”

“Oh. Right. Thank you, a knight has got to slay.” 

Patton giggles at the pun. Roman picks up a handful of snow and rubs his face. The red cape on his back comes in handy as a towel. “Farewell!”

Patton and Anxiety waved Roman goodbye, and watch the knight in armor trudge back through the snowy landscape. The prince turns to the dragon.

“Could I order another fire please?”


	4. Chapter 3: Smells Like A Dust Allergy

The Cursed Prince AU Novel

Written By: Aayden (@Artistiarc) 

Co-written By: Kieri (@blazian_scribbles)

Edited By: Ava(@askewdoodles), Melany (@nonsense.socialite)

Chapter 3: Smells Like a Dust Allergy

Roman hiked his way home, the idea of Patton befriending a dragon clouded his mind. 

“Befriending a dragon…what a stupid idea. Doesn’t Patton know how dangerous those creatures are?” Roman sighed, frustrated with himself. He knew he was starting to fall for the dragon’s company as well.  
“Remember your training,” he mumbled to himself. “Don’t let your guard down and keep an eye on your target.” 

“Well, how am I supposed to do that now?” Roman yelled to himself, rolling his eyes.  
“Maybe I should go back…” Roman bit his lip, turning around to go back to Patton. “But I can’t disobey the prince’s direct orders…” he countered, turning back around.

Roman gave a groan of frustration, pulling at his hair, feeling conflicted. 

“Are you feeling adequate Princey?” A voice spoke up from nearby. Roman glanced up to see the general, leaning against a tree, a book in his hand as always. 

“Oh! Logan…H-How long have you been standing there?” Roman rubbed the back of his neck nervously. 

“Long enough,” Logan said, tucking his book between his arm. “Where’s Patton? I would have guessed you had enough time to retrieve him.” Logan raised an eyebrow suspiciously. 

“I-I- uh, You see, there was this village,” Roman stuttered out.

“Uh-huh?”

“A-And the village took Patton in because h-he was a prince and had gotten injured…” Roman rambled. 

“Uh-huh,”

“And the village doesn’t allow outside knights or foreigners…” Roman struggled to put his sentences together. 

“You’re a terrible liar Roman,” Logan said. 

“What?!” Roman felt his voice rise an octave. “I’m not lying!” 

Logan glared at him, rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying not to knock off his glasses. 

“First, you’re stuttering, you can barely put a sentence together, second, you refuse to look me in the eye.” At this Roman glanced away. “Third, you’re giving me vague information and fourth, I’ve known you long enough to know that you rub the back of your neck when you’re lying.”

“I-I…Oh, dear Joan…” The knight again rubbed the back of his neck. “Please don’t tell anyone about this Logan, I beg of you!” 

“First you need to tell me what I’m not supposed to be telling anyone,” Logan said.

Roman took in a breath, 

“OkaysoPattonbefriendedadragonandhedidn’tletmekillhimbecausehereallylikeshimandIdon’tknowwhattodo!”

“Roman! Calm down, speak slowly.” Logan struggled to calm him down. 

Roman sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Patton made friends with a dragon…”

At this, Logan’s eyes widened, his fingers tapping on the book cover. 

“Well, that was unexpected. Although with his personality, it isn’t unbelievable.” He shifted his gaze to look Roman in the eyes. 

“However your behavior is more interesting. What could’ve happened to make you, a dragon slayer, defend such a creature? Your sworn enemy? That is odd and quite peculiar.” 

The knight took in a huge breath. 

“Well at first I saw it in the woods by a wild blackberry bush but I was busy looking for Patton so I didn’t want to get distracted, but then I saw the same dragon later in the woods with Patton so I followed it behind trees. Then it just vanished into thin air. So I wander- I mean followed its scent through the woods until I stumbl- er, found the dragon’s cave and I heard Patton screaming so I went in with my sword and tried to kill it. I got a few hits before Patton stopped me because the dragon was so scared of me,” 

Roman fiddled with his cape while blabbering. 

“and then the dragon tried to kill me by flying me really high up in its claws and then dropping me but then it caught me and brought me back to the cave. I made fun of its name and then it let me get close and pet it. A little after, we made a plan to keep it safe.” He felt his cheeks go red with embarrassment. 

“Well now that I think about it, I don’t really have a good reason why.”

Logan stared at the knight, visually processing the information dump he had received. After a moment of Roman uncomfortably fidgeting, Logan started to walk away. The knight lunged after him in a panic.

“Oh, please General don’t tell anyone about this!” pleaded Roman, grabbing his arm. 

Logan stopped walking and turned around, seeing the normally narcissistically-poised warrior in such a begging position. He tore his arm away and rubbed his temples for a moment, seemingly thinking about his decision. 

“What kind of dragon did you see Roman?” He asked with a sigh. 

Roman paused for a moment, 

“Uh…I’m not exactly sure. He was big, with violet and black scales, and had the brightest brown eyes…” Roman thought to himself, as he described the dragon. He’d never seen a dragon with brown eyes before, usually, they’re unusual colors such as yellow or pink. 

“Perhaps I have some books on the dragon you might have seen, we can study more about it in my office.” Logan turned away from Roman, walking in the opposite direction.

“B-But you’re not going to tell anyone right? You know how the villagers are! I’ll be marked as a traitor!”

“Ah, so you’re worried about your own skin and not the dragon’s?” Logan teased.

“Patton’s really fond of him…” Roman scratched behind his ear. 

“I see- Very well, I won’t tell a soul. And besides, a live dragon to study, perhaps I should come with you the next time you return to see it!” Logan advised.

“Maybe…” Roman said, “He’s not a huge fan of visitors.”

Logan hummed in acknowledgment. 

“Well, perhaps he’s just going to have to get used to us.”

Roman watched the army general walk away in the snow, before remembering he too needed to go back to the kingdom.

“Oh wait up!”

Logan and Roman walked back to their village, wide golden gates had marked their entrance into the town.

The kingdom was utterly astonishing. The pearl-colored buildings sparkled majestically in the sun and all around were golden leaves of some unknown plants. The residents of this unearthly village bustled around, minding their own business and politely greeting one another as they passed by. 

It radiated an aura of peace and serenity as birds chirped to their families and the villagers diligently worked to gather food for a bountiful feast. The village huts smelled of damp wood and exemplify a modest lifestyle. Trees towered over the village rooftops, with their broad, green leaves providing shade from the radiant sun. Dirt pathways wound throughout the village providing passage throughout the town. 

Roman and Logan greeted the villagers as they passed through the town. Roman smiled cheerfully and shook some of the villager’s hands. Roman always seemed to attract the children, who were fascinated by his armor and sword. Logan, however, remained stoic, nodding to the villagers as he walked past. They knew Logan as cold and calculated but Roman wished the villagers could see more than that. Throughout the years of their friendship, he caught glimpses of Logan’s emotions shining through. His little grin when he talked about something he was fascinated by, or his anger when Roman’s antics proved to be too much for the general/scientist. He wished the villagers could see Logan’s eyes light up when the farmers brought him fresh jam from their farm, or how he would laugh so subtly when Patton told a good joke. 

There were a lot of things the villagers didn’t know about Logan and a lot of things he didn’t know himself. 

The two men walked into the soldiers quarters, careful not to step on anyone’s possessions as they made their way to Logan’s office. The office was in a state of half organized clutter. His mahogany desk with three drawers on the right-hand side with papers scattered across the desktop. Candles sat unlit at the corner of the desk, their wax caught in a standstill.

Logan walked around the cluttered mess, sitting in his wooden chair as he flipped through one of his many books. 

“Perhaps you saw something like this?” He turned the book towards Roman as the knight took a closer look. The dragon in the picture had purple scales and multiple horns jutting from its head. Its breath was said to gush acid.

Roman shook his head. 

“No, that’s not him…” Roman said. The dragon in the photo had dark purple eyes, not like Anxiety’s brown ones. 

Logan continued to show Roman photos and descriptions of dragons, to which Roman shook his head no to all of them. He sat back in his chair, re-reading the table of contents.

“How strange…I was sure it would be one of these.” His brow furrowed as the gears in his brain turned. Suddenly he slapped a hand down on his desk. 

Roman jumped back in surprise.

“What?!” 

Logan tried to hide the excitement in his voice. “Perhaps, you discovered a new type of dragon?” 

Roman looked blankly at the general then shrugged. Logan sprung up from his desk and motioned for Roman to follow him. The two ran out of the quarters and down the streets, the knight’s armor clanking as he tried to wave at passing villagers. 

“So where are we going?” Roman struggled slightly to keep up with Logan, who was not wearing armor. 

“To the most important place in this kingdom!” 

Roman’s eyes lit up. “We’re going to the bakery?!”

Logan managed to throw an eye roll behind his shoulder at him. “No, we’re going to the library.”

He turned the corner and stopped in front of the large wood-engraved doors. 

Roman groaned. “Ugh, I haven’t been back here since last years exams.” 

Logan paused right before opening the doors. 

“Since last year? Then how did you complete the war strategy assignment from last week?” 

Roman froze mid breath.“Oh wow look the library let’s go in.” 

He rushed to the doors and pushed them open, revealing shelves upon shelves of books of every color and size. Logan walked past him, taking a deep breath in.

“Ah, smell that? What does that smell like to you?” Romans sniffed the air then coughed.

“Smells like I have a dust allergy.” 

Logan sighed. “No, it smells like learn- whatever. Come over here.” He walked around to the back of the building, shushing young knights roughhousing at the tables. He led Roman to a shelf that looked different than the others. It was only three tiers high, compared to the other 12 tier bookcases. It had spiderwebs in one corner and a small flickering lamp on the floor beside it. He kneeled down to scan baren shelves. Of the fifteen or so books at eye level, Logan only took one. He looked at the spine before placing it back on the shelf- in a different place. Roman, confused, watched. 

Logan felt his stare.

“It was in the wrong place. Someone reshelved it incorrectly.”

“Ah.” 

Logan crouched even lower to scan the bottom shelf.

“Here it is.” He picked up a book covered in red leather. Roman peered over his shoulder and squinted at it. He thought he saw what seemed to be…

“Is that golden stitching? What is that book doing all the way down there?” 

Logan turned around and pointed to the initials on the spine. 

“Initials Z, Z. Alphabetical order. Really, it’s like you were sleeping through my workshops.” He stood up and motions to have Roman follow him to a table. They sat across from each other on the wooden benches. Logan rested the book down on the table and rummaged through his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the dust. Before he could, Roman leaned over putting two hands on the table and blew on the cover of the book, sending a cloud of dust into Logan’s face. The knight laughed at the general, who spat and cursed at him. Logan took the handkerchief in his hand and wiped his face.

“Real mature of you Roman.” He said with a growl. Logan opened the book and flipped through it. “This book is a full index of the rarest types of dragons. It has the locations of the dragons from the old world, a guide to history, a chart with biology and physiology, and in the limited pre-war edition, a chapter on how to train your dragon. Unfortunately, every copy with this chapter was burned or discarded by angry villagers. But,” He held up a finger and flipped to the last page. “The most important item in this book is the call number to another book containing the population levels of every dragon species in the area.” He pointed to it then shut the book, standing up to return it. Roman stood up as well, but not in Logan’s calm manner. 

“Wait, we came all the way here to find a book that would take us to another book?” Logan kept walking.

“Yes.” He looked over his shoulder. “I thought you would appreciate the adventure.” 

Roman followed him.

“I would hardly call this an adventure. More like the most boring scavenger hunt in the world.” 

Logan reshelved the book- correctly, and walked over to one of the 12 tier bookcases. He faced Roman with his eyes closed. 

“Roman, when will you learn that books can be just as thrilling as slaying monsters or bakeries.” He ran his pointer finger along the shelf, eyes still closed. 

“In fact, if you came here often enough, you get a sense of the place, and can even find what you need without looking.” He smirked and stuck his pointer finger in an empty slot of the shelf. His eyes flew open and he jerked his head towards the gap. 

“What?!” Logan ran back to the end of the bookshelf and checked the inscriptions. “W-Z, this should be it, I don’t understand.” He checked the gap and the books beside it, for the first time in his life, hoping it was misshelved. None of the books matched the orange leather cover he was looking for. He whispered to himself, inaudibly. 

Roman put his hand to his ear, “What did you say?” Logan repeated himself, touching the empty slot.

“It’s not here.”


End file.
